So, I'm in the market for a decent E-KIt as I want something to play in my dorms while up at college, I've been searching around a tiny bit (Read: not much haha) and have about a $1000-$1200 price range.

With that said, the Guitar Center near me has a Roland TD-11KVS on the floor (meaning around 6 months "used" which admitedly erks me a bit as so many people have played the drums before, so more damage could be dealt rather than a single person owning the set.) for $1100 that seemed pretty nice and a good deal to me. However, I'm lacking knowledge in the field of E-Sets as I've only ever played Acoustic Sets, so I figured it'd be best to check in with you guys first :P

SO! $1100 for a used TD-11KVS? Or should I keep looking?

Also, could anyone recommend other E-Sets in my price range as alternatives? I keep getting lost with all the numbers and letters... haha

if you like the roland just have them order you a new one. it only takes a couple days. i tried the model you looked at its nice but i went with a yamaha dtx500 i liked the sounds a little better than the roland. and i was cheaper for me plus i wanted amp at the time or i wouls have got the dtx520.

i would just upgrade it later. but befrore you buy i would try out a yamaha dtx520 or 530 first before settling on the roland. try the sounds/kits out and what pads feel better to you. i thought the yamaha tcs pad on the snare was better for me than the mesh roland,
both brands make good sets

Sometimes having a nearby dealer can make all the difference in the world.

If you have an opportunity to play and hear, that may turn you off (or on) on a certain brand (pad) also.

Otherwise, back to Yamaha, for the $1200 range you get get a nice DTX520K kit in a bundle. Bundles usually come with a throne, amp, maybe an extra pad. It depends on what you need.

For a little bit more you could look into the DTX535K kit which has a really nice snare, ride and hihat.

If space is really cramped, some folks have recommend a "multipad" setup in other recent threads in this forum.

Having both Yamaha TCS and rubber pads the TCS pads are definitely quieter, so your dorm mates will definitely appreciate that. Either way though they are going to hear you tap tap tap away. It is the floor kick pad though that is going to produce your most noise. If you can swing a ground floor room, that would probably be best.

$1200 is not a bad deal. I purchased this same model kit in the previous version last year used on CL for $1000, but that was a particularly good deal.

E-kits can wear a bit. I imagine they are used quite hard sitting in a Guitar Center. Whenever I am at my local GC there is always someone blasting away on various drum kits. Always. Personally, I would either pony up for a new kit, or just be patient and look around on CL for local kits that you can verify were used less harshly.

Or, go for the Guitar Center kit and ask them to throw in an extended warranty. As you can imagine, the Roland factory warranty is not great. It doesnt cover much beyond regular use, and you have to pay to ship the unit to them to inspect it before they will even tell you whether something is covered.

Whichever kit you buy, make sure you inspect it thoroughly first. The main problem areas are the cymbal pads getting clogged up with rubber and dust. This causes them to trigger inconsistently. So, try kitting all of the pads once at a time at speed to see if they are working 100% properly.